Yasir Shah hopes to play against Virat Kohli

The Pakistan leg-spinner has been out of the LOIs for a significant period of time.

What's the story?

Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has spoken about his desire to play against Indian skipper Virat Kohli and has said he hopes to make a return to Pakistan's ODI and T20 squads.

In case you didn't know

The leg-spinner recently created history by becoming the fastest spinner to claim 150 Test wickets, a record he created against Sri Lanka. This beat the previous record Ravichandran Ashwin held prior to Yasir Shah's feat.

In addition to this, the leggie needs 35 wickets in his next seven games to become the fastest to 200 Test wickets, which would be another feather in his cap.

The heart of the matter

A brilliant exponent of the art of leg-spin, Yasir Shah, who has moved up the ranks very quickly, has said that he is working on his flipper and googly deliveries, while he also hopes to bowl soon to the Indian captain, who is himself breaking records each passing day.

Shah last played an ODI for Pakistan in 2016, when they toured England, and has been out of national reckoning ever since, with youngster Shadab Khan making a huge mark in the international team.

Speaking highly and wishing well for the youngster, Shah said "“I always feel happy to see him performing for Pakistan in ODIs and T20s and believe that he will take some time to start performing in Test matches as well."

What has been surprising is the fact that although the leggie has played a lot of domestic T20 cricket in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League, he has not been able to cement his spot in the national T20 squad.

The spinner was all praises for the recent developments brought in by the Pakistan Cricket Board, and was particularly happy with the introduction of the yo-yo test, which he believes will undoubtedly aid in increased fitness of players.

What's next?

Shah will travel to Australia to take part in the Big Bash League, where he will represent the Brisbane Heat alongside his countryman and fellow leg-spinner Shadab Khan. Both will play under skipper Brendon McCullum and head coach Daniel Vettori.

Author's take

Without a shadow of a doubt, Yasir Shah has emerged as one of Pakistan's best spinners in the longest format of the game. It would be a treat to fans to see him bring out his game against the Indian skipper, while his re-entry to the LOI scenario will also be something to watch out for, especially if he puts in consistent performances in the domestic circuit.